I was just curious, why most pro use 54 wedge, instead of normal 56 wedge on bunker? I feel 54 is kinda more like gap wedge rather than sand wedge. Also, 54 is more difficult to hit consistently than 56.

I was just curious, why most pro use 54 wedge, instead of normal 56 wedge on bunker?

Do they? I would guess that it's probably all over the board what people use. Probably a bunch of 55's, 57's and 58's in there too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvin

I feel 54 is kinda more like gap wedge rather than sand wedge.

Personal preference. My irons have a PW that is at 46.5, so my "gap" wedge is 50, and my "sand" wedge is 54.5. I used to have a 56 wedge, and I liked that one too. If I have bunker shots that require more loft, and/or less roll out, I'll go with my 59.

I have both a 54 & 56 and I can promise you there is no difference between the two besides how far they go. I switches from a 56/60 to a 54/58 and I am much happier. I personally use my 58 out of the bunker mostly.

I have both a 54 & 56 and I can promise you there is no difference between the two besides how far they go. I switches from a 56/60 to a 54/58 and I am much happier. I personally use my 58 out of the bunker mostly.

Can you explain why you're far more happier with 54/58 rather than 56/60?

I use my 58 pitch (I use quickie pitching style). This is a shot I struggled with using my 60. When I had my 56 I was only using it out of the bunker. I was terrible with it on full or even less than full swing shots. I can hit my 54 from the fairway with pretty good success. The main reason I switched was because there was never a situation when I needed a 60. I can hit every shot with a 58 I could with a 60. I also got a new set of irons which has a 50º gap wedge so I wanted a more even gap in my wedge degrees.

Can you explain why you're far more happier with 54/58 rather than 56/60?

I know you're not asking me but I can say that I am happier with my 54.5/59 combo than my old 56/60 combo because I don't have the same gap I used to have. I used to go from 56 down to 47(PW) without anything in between.

Now, I have even loft gaps all the way ... 59, 54.5, 50, 46.5 ... so there is no giant gap.

But other than the gap, I'm not a lot happier with either pair. My old 56/60 wedge combo was really good too. :)

I was just curious, why most pro use 54 wedge, instead of normal 56 wedge on bunker? I feel 54 is kinda more like gap wedge rather than sand wedge.

I think you have to get out of the thinking that 56* is "normal", it's just a loft. I would bet that 56* is the least popular loft on tour, guys use a variety of combos, 55/60, 54/59. Pros tend to go with a 54 instead of 56 because pitching wedge lofts have gotten stronger the last 5-10 years. Rare for even a pro to have a pitching wedge of 48 or 49.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvin

Also, 54 is more difficult to hit consistently than 56.

Why is that? 54 can still has plenty of bounce. I use my 52 out of bunkers.

I have a 56 and an 58 and I will use either one out of a bunker, depending on conditions and circumstances. My 58 has a little less bounce as well.

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Wouldn't you want to have a little more loft separation?

58 to 60 - more loft = more spin.

I also own a 54 and a 60, but I find that going from my 52 gap wedge to the 56 gives me good separation there, and I can do most of what I would use a 60 for with the 58. It's personal preference; I have a really hard time getting the hang of a 60. All I can do consistently with it is greenside lobs out of the rough, but I can do that pretty well with a slightly open 58 as well.

I also own a 54 and a 60, but I find that going from my 52 gap wedge to the 56 gives me good separation there, and I can do most of what I would use a 60 for with the 58. It's personal preference; I have a really hard time getting the hang of a 60. All I can do consistently with it is greenside lobs out of the rough, but I can do that pretty well with a slightly open 58 as well.

Okay, I understand. I once preferred a 58 over a 60 … the 58 seems more versatile if you like a one club option for everything around the green. But over time, I grew accustomed to the 60, and have no qualms pulling out the 55.

Just made the switch to 54/58 from 56/60. Nothing to do with preference just that I went with the stock GW for my set and surprisingly it's 1 degree weaker than the 4-9, the 9-GW are 5 degrees apart each. Keeping with the 5 degrees it just made sense and I was able to eliminate 1 wedge and bring in a 7w. I had severe gap issues at the long end of the bag.

In years past, I carried 3 wedges, my PW was 48* and I carried a 52*, a 56* and a 60*. My current PW is 47* and I'm thinking of going with either a 56/60 combo, or a 54/60. I found that in the past, the 60 saved my a$$ more than once around the greens, Hitting short flop shots was something I didn't fear..

Lately I've been going with a PW, 50, 56 & 64 (hey if you find yourself looking UP at a short sided pin and if you're like me & can't rely on spin to stop it, lots of loft works ! The 64 is awesome - it's a specialty club - doesn't get used but a few times a round, but it's great for what I ask of it ... I find it so much easier than trying to open up a 60 & it really is very pleasing to my eye at setup ... secret is can't be afraid to swing it & only use it when absolutely necessary)

In years past, I carried 3 wedges, my PW was 48* and I carried a 52*, a 56* and a 60*. My current PW is 47* and I'm thinking of going with either a 56/60 combo, or a 54/60. I found that in the past, the 60 saved my a$$ more than once around the greens, Hitting short flop shots was something I didn't fear..

I use my 60* wedge in the sand and all around the green. Then again, it is my only wedge other than my PW, so I really have very little choice. But, because of that, I have gotten quite good with that club.

Keep in mind bounce is tricky and loft is easy to decide on. Loft is how high you want the shot. Bounce determines how nice the shot goes.
Moving the ball in your stance controls how much bounce you have. Ball off your back foot takes off bounce. Off front foot increases it.
It's easier to hit off your back foot since you get more spin and less likely to blade the shot however you need lots of bounce to keep from digging.
Now if you have medium bounce clubs you will find ball in center works best but your chance of a bad shot increases. If you have high bounce then don't
play the ball off your front foot unless you're in sand or the ball is sitting up.

I have used four wedges for a while PW, 50, 54, 58. 58 is for most sand, pitch and chip shots. But for the last month I dropped the 50/54 for a 52 I picked up on Flee-bay and carry only 13 clubs. I did this just to try something different for late fall golf. I still use the 58 for most short game shots. The 52 will be for 105 yards down to short game. I have to credit @David in FL for giving this a try. He made comments on another thread that were interesting. I think it is fun experimenting with different strategies from 100 yards in.

I haven't tried a 60 yet. I can lob with the 58 with consistency when needed.